11 Non-Traditional Bedside Tables

Each day I get comments from all of you lovely readers… and I try to answer each and every one! Last week a sweet gal named Joy commented on a little post of mine called How to Pick Your YOU Decorating Style! Here’s what she said:

We just bought our first house and I feel like we have such sparse rooms right now. We are basically working “room by room” but I am getting so antsy for it all! The guest room is currently ready to be decorated, and this post gave me much better direction (I have been ALL OVER the place with what I want in there). My husband and I just started a house blog – I’d love if you followed along and gave me some decor pointers!

Well of course I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that! So I hopped over to her adorable new blog (the Accidental House Blog) to check out her adorable house! She and her hubby have been doing a lot of behind the scenes work (check out the peeling paint in her guest room before pictures and you’ll see how far she’s come!) after all that point her guest room is finally at the fun part… decorating! Here’s a little sneak peek at her blank slate…

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Joy asked for a bit of assistance at the end of her post:

What do you guys think? Do you have an idea for good decor in here? I’m definitely planning on a standing vanity area so the girls have an area for doing make-up and such. I’m having terrible luck finding good side tables that are under $40. Any ideas there? Oh! What about making a slightly dated ceiling fan look more aesthetically pleasing?

I love to see a blank canvas like this… it really gets the wheels turning! I think I’ll tackle a mood board for her room like the one I did for my friend Karlie a while back! They’re so much fun to make… even if they’re only within my head 😉 Today however her plea for affordable side tables caught my attention… so I thought I would put together a couple options!

Now I know we’re suppose to be good and eat our dinner first… but I never was very good at following rules… sometimes you just have to go straight for the chocolate cake! So in the spirit of dessert first I am showing my absolute favorite idea first! After that… it’s completely random! (Psst… click on the picture to find out where it came from! Alot of these ideas have tutorials!)

Hanging Side Tables!

How cool is this? Side tables that literally hang from the ceiling! They’re light bright and airy… and leave so much visual leg room! These galvanized trays are adorable… but I love the rustic wood slice option as well! Plus you could totally DIY these bad boys with a cute tray! Sign me up… I’ll take two!

Bar Carts

Ever since IKEA came out with their adorable bar carts everybody and their cat has found an adorable way to use them (except me… but don’t worry I’m working on it! Thinking craft room storage…) I particularly like the idea of a bar cart bed side table for a guest room. One word: wheels! Your guests can move it around to make more space and use it to fit their needs! Plus with all that storage space you could include the cutest “Welcome to our Home” guest room kit ever!

Stacked Suitcases

If you haven’t noticed lately vintage suitcases are kind of my thing! If you’ve checked out our living room you’ve even seen how I use them as a side table next to my living room couch! The reason I love this vintage short stack (3 pancakes right? Or is it 2…) is the adorable colors and the mirror on top! The mirror makes it functional with just a hint of glam! Plus? All that storage! Think of what you could stash in here… extra linens, seasonal clothing, old stuffed animals… the list is endless!

Wooden Tree Stump

I have seen the wooden tree stump as a side table time and time again… but since I don’t like wood looking wood it’s never called to me. These painted tree stumps are right up my ally! They’re DIY so you can make them go with any color story… and if you are in the right place at the right time you could totally make this a completely free project! Just don’t cut down your neighbors tree alright? Or if you do… don’t tell them I sent you!

Vintage Chair

Okay y’all this one is a little out there… but it makes total sense! If you have a small space (or just like the minimal look) a chair bedside table makes total sense! You can use it to store you nightly reading and glass of water… plus it’s additional seating if you need it! Anything that meets two needs instead of one is winning in my book!

Console Tables

I love console tables as bedside tables for the same reason I love dressers… they hold so much STUFF! The perk of the console table is it’s slender… so you have a large surface in an itty bitty floor space! Think how awesome this would be with a little poof tucked underneath and a mirror hanging over head. Instant tuck away vanity!

Garden Stools

I absolutely adore the metallic garden stool trend going on right now! They’re so glamorous! Plus I’m like a cat… attracted to anything that sparkles! The typical garden stool is fairly inexpensive (I’ve found the metallic ones to be a bit pricier than the normal ones… but hey we all have metallic spray paint right?) and tuck sweetly next to a bed (or chair!) I love the amount of charm they add to a room!

Floating Shelf

Okay this one is genius! It was born out of necessity… see those drawers under the bed? They need to be able to pull out… therefore a typical bedside table would be completely in the way! Therefore the floating shelf was born and just like with it’s sister the hanging shelf… I am completely smitten! Anything that leaves open floor space opens up a room so much! I love how functional it is too… a shelf and a drawer! Plus you could totally rescue an old table and fix this up… you’re going to be chopping it up so don’t worry about the condition!

Bar Stools

A re-purposed bar stool is the perfect solution for a small space… plus it covers that whole extra seating/ nightstand thing we were talking about earlier! The thing I love most about the yellow bar stool is how she wrapped the pegs with jute… instant extra shelves! So clever!

The Half Table

Do you have one night stand that you love? Or that’s just too wide for your space? Just cut it in half! Now you have two tables for the price of one… works every time!

Re-purposed Laundry Cart

Okay this is just too clever for words… find an old laundry basket (the kind with the metal bones like in the picture) and make it into a sleek modern side table! Seriously this thing looks like it could cost mega bucks! Don’t you love how inventive people can be?

Pssst… deals ahead!

While I was searching for side table ideas I came across these little beauties at Kmart… they’re available for delivery and come in different colors (white, yellow and teal!) plus they’re under thirty bucks a pop… score!

Well y’all if you made it to here you are officially my new best friend… that was a lot of side tables! Which one was your favorite? Did you like any of them Joy? Check back later this week y’all… I’m right in the middle of a killer mood board for the rest of Joy’s guest room… I can’t wait to share it with you!

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Welcome back! I'd love to be friends and see what else you would like to read about! Leave me a comment and then sign up for your very own FREE paint planner.... so that you can keep track of every single paint color with ease!

I so have that Ikea cart! we use it in our bathroom so versatile, we move it in and then out of the bathroom as needed. I want to invest in a few more! And what a great way for a tree stump, we don’t have any downed trees to use though. I’m basically in love with all of these ideas! Definitely bookmarking this.

You’re so sweet Liz! Isn’t that IKEA cart awesome! I’ve been wanting one for a while now! Hopefully now that we’re in our new house I can find a fun place for one! 😉 The tree stumps are so much fun too… I bet with a little luck you’ll be able to find one! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thanks for the shout out! I should have you do a post on every blank slate room of my house! We found a little something at IKEA (of course) so once I get the finishing touches I’ll do a room tour. The hanging side tables is definitely the chocolate cake. Next I would say the floating shelves, then the tree stumps, and then the garden stools. I am definitely keeping this post as a reference. You have such and eye and awesome ideas! New blogging bestie? I think so.

I’m so glad you liked the options Joy! It was a fun post… I’m having such a fun time coming up with affordable, clean, streamlined IKEA guest room options for a guest room 😉 Can’t wait to see the finished room… although I’m still working on my own version of a mood board! I just can’t turn down a blank slate even if the finished room is only in my head! Feel free to keep asking questions… I’d love to give whatever help I can (in the form of mood boards, furniture posts, or just comments!) Can’t have too many awesome blogging besties! 😉

I’m so glad you found something that could help! Vintage suitcases make a great side table… and it’s perfect that you already own some! I love working with things we already own! Thanks for stopping by Jessica! P.S. you should check out this post by DIY Ready… she has some awesome ideas on making over vintage suitcases! http://diyready.com/7-diy-ways-upcycle-vintage-suitcases/

Haha! I wonder how he’ll take that! I loved the idea but my hubby would probably look at me like I was nuts if I asked him to cut a nightstand in half! That’s ok… you can do it! Thanks for stopping by Nancy!

I completely agree! The bar cart would be great for a small room… since you can store so much stuff on them! I never have enough room on mine… maybe I need a bar cart in the corner to catch all the over-flow! Thanks for stopping by Alex!

So many unique ideas! We will be starting on a new house within the year and I can’t wait to get to the part where I get to start finding things to decorate with. Thanks for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty

[…] 11 Non-Traditional Bedside Tables! – I love to see a blank canvas like this… it really gets the wheels turning! I think I’ll tackle a mood board for her room like the one I did for my friend Karlie a while back! They’re so much fun to make… even if they’re only within my head Today however Joy’s plea for affordable side tables caught my attention… so I thought I would put together a couple options… read more! […]

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I'mBetsy, Home Decor Enthusiast, Yorkie Mama, Crafter, Blogger, Picky Eater, Chief Mess Maker, Antique Hoarder and Graphic Designer. You can generally find me working on (attacking with a paintbrush) the 3 bed, 2 bath home we are currently renting! Our home might not be perfect but it is ours & if you hang out long enough you'll see that what we lack in know-how we make up for in passion!

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